To catch fish by angling, a number of fishing tackle elements are employed such as hooks, lures, sinkers, etc. These tackle elements are attached to a fishing line and, when used in close proximity to the bottom of a body of water, these elements have been found prone to snagging on weeds, rocks, submerged branches, and similar obstacles. This snagging frequently results in breakage of the fishing line and loss of the tackle elements attached thereto. Breakage of the line due to snagging also requires the user to attach new tackle, taking time away from actively fishing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,668 of the present inventor teaches a bait locating device which overcomes the problem of snagging hooks and lures. The '668 bait locating device employs a flotation member which engages a fishing line to float the line off the bottom while allowing the fishing line to pass freely through when the lure or bait is taken by a fish. The flotation member of the '668 patent is connected to a sinker by a sinker line. The sinker holds the flotation member near the bottom, at a depth determined by the length of the sinker line; by adjusting the sinker line length, the lure or bait can be maintained a desired height above the bottom. Since the lure or bait is raised off the bottom, it can pass over most obstructions. The sinker which rests on the bottom may still become snagged on obstruction; however, when the sinker line is selected to be weaker than the fishing line that attaches to the lure, then the sinker line can be broken if the sinker becomes snagged, and the lure can then be recovered.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,435 teaches an alternative device to maintain a fishing line and lure at a constant height above the bottom. An elongated, flexible buoyant member serves to attach a sinker to the fishing line, where the buoyancy is intended to lift the fishing line to the desired height over the bottom to avoid snagging of the lure. If the sinker becomes snagged, the buoyant member can break apart to allow recovery of the lure. The '435 device lacks the ability to adjust the height of the lure in the manner provided by the '668 bait locating device. Furthermore, when the buoyant member is designed to break apart, it may be susceptible to damage by abrasion. The '435 device also lacks any structure to avoid tangling of the hook with the sinker and/or buoyant member when casting, as is provided by the structure of the '668 bait locating device.
While the above devices address the problem of snagging and loss of lures and hooks, they do not overcome the problem of sinkers becoming snagged. To reduce the likelihood of snagging, attempts have been made to provide sinkers that are less prone to becoming snagged on obstructions in the water.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,145,240; 6,305,121; 6,557,294; 6,843,018; and 6,874,272, teach sinkers having a curved, elongated body with a buoyant portion and a weighted portion. The buoyant portion is intended to provide a degree of lift to the sinker and, in combination with the curved body, is intended to allow the sinker to slide over and/or past obstructions rather than snagging. However, the reduction in overall effective weight due to the buoyant portion and the tendency to stand upright when the sinker line is tensioned may limit the useful applications of the sinker. The limitations of these sinkers are discussed in the Background section of U.S. Publication 2003/0159332, which teaches an elongated sinker having a section that is inclined to the remainder and without any buoyant portion. The inclined portion of this sinker is intended to cause the sinker to provide a twisting motion upon contact with obstacles to prevent snagging. However, the weight may still be prone to snagging in situations where there is insufficient space to accommodate the twisting motion, and may be prone to entanglement in weeds.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,670,447 and 3,672,088 teach other elongated sinkers having buoyant portions, where the buoyant portion is intended to maintain the sinker in an upright position in the water to allow it to pass over obstructions without snagging, as well as to lift a fishing lure off the bottom in a manner similar to the '435 patent discussed above. Again, the use of a buoyant portion will tend to reduce the overall effectiveness of the sinker. Additionally, the buoyancy of these elongated sinkers would not appear to be sufficient to allow the sinkers to maintain their upright position when exposed to sideways forces, and thus they may not be able to maintain the lure at a desired height over the bottom when trolling and/or when used in areas with a strong current. The upright position of these sinkers may increase the likelihood of the sinker falling into crevices and becoming snagged therein. To prevent falling into crevices, U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,030, by the same inventor as the '447 patent, teaches the addition of wire legs onto this basic sinker structure to reduce the likelihood of the sinker becoming jammed in crevices or rocks. While the wire legs of the '030 patent may provide a benefit in rocky environments, they would appear to increase the risk of snagging when employed in areas with weeds and/or branches, and may increase the risk of entanglement with the lure or bait when casting.
U.S. Publication 2004/0134120 teaches another sinker intended to reduce snagging when used in rocky environments. This sinker has a streamlined body with an inclined passage for the fishing line, where the inclination of the passage is intended to lift the sinker as it is retrieved, allowing it to lift over rocks. Again, the sinker may be prone to snagging when used in areas with weeds and/or branches.